From the editors: the FT and Nikkei’s alliance for gold-standard journalism

An alliance for gold-standard journalism

Roula Khalaf
Editor, Financial Times

The world has experienced seismic change since the Nikkei-FT deal was reported in our pink pages. Back in 2015, Donald Trump had not been elected, the Brexit vote had not taken place, talk of a new cold war with China was wildly premature and a global pandemic was unimaginable.

As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of our alliance, we must also reckon with the impact of the health and economic crisis and consider the big trends of the future. What have we learned from the coronavirus crisis? What trends have been accelerated? What will the world look like in five years’ time?

This report will help to answer these questions. It places the rise of China, climate change action and tech disruption high on the policy agenda over the next few years.

In many countries, the social contract has been challenged during the pandemic. Young people, women and the economically disadvantaged have borne a heavy burden.

This pandemic year saw outrage over racial injustice reach a boiling point, with historic protests in the US and around the world. Corporations too have had to think harder about their purpose, and take in the environment and social impact of their businesses. The next five years will test political and business leaders’ stated commitments to a new way forward and a cleaner planet.

During a time of disruption, the global media alliance between Nikkei and the FT has grown stronger. Together with Nikkei, the FT is in an unparalleled position to deliver quality journalism that will guide our readers, inform businesses and, always, question and hold those in power to account.

A truly global business media partnership

Tetsuya Iguchi
Editor-in-chief, Nikkei

Five years have passed since Nikkei and the Financial Times became partners. Together, we have strived to create a truly global media group focused on the world economy and everything that affects it.

Given the turmoil humanity is facing, there is more need than ever for high-quality global news and analysis. The coronavirus pandemic has put our commitment to that goal — and our ability to carry it out — to the test.

The World Ahead: an FT-Nikkei special report

FT and Nikkei journalists look ahead to the next five years after a five-year alliance marked by tumultuous events, from Brexit and the Trump presidency to the coronavirus pandemic. Other articles include:

• FT and Nikkei sectoral experts forecast what work, finance, tech, retail and energy will look like in 2025

• Martin Wolf, FT chief economics commentator, on the forces that will shape the next five years

• Ryosuke Harada, Nikkei senior executive editor, on what the rise of China means for the rest of the world

• A visual guide to the data shaping the 2020s and beyond

• We asked for your predictions: a woman in the White House, yes, but no progress on climate change

As infections spread rapidly from China to Europe and the US, FT reporting provided must-read insights on the medical and economic response to the outbreak. It provided in-depth coverage of how companies reeled in the face of an unprecedentedly abrupt economic slowdown, and mounting concerns about job insecurity.

At the same time, Nikkei reported — via its English-language publication, Nikkei Asia — on the swift reaction to the pandemic by Asian countries and governments. Nikkei chronicled how Asian countries deployed digital contact tracing systems and promoted mask-wearing, attracting strong attention from our readers in Europe and the US.

Of course, Covid-19 is not the only crisis we face. The world indeed stands at a crossroads. Some voices cry out that capitalism has reached its limits, while many worry that the very foundations of democracy have been shaken. People are angry at an overconcentration of wealth. As the global economic expansion slows, these disparities will inevitably widen.

But why has growth slowed? Underlying the phenomenon is the transition from a manufacturing economy centred on the production of goods to a digital one that creates wealth based on knowledge and data. Further, the end of population growth that long propelled economies is spreading from Japan to places such as China and Europe, weighing on consumption and output.

In sum, we at Nikkei and the FT are committed to gathering and collecting the global information and wisdom necessary to provide solutions for escaping from this predicament. Our challenge continues.